Ruby Remati, a USA Artistic Swimming athlete, examines trash she collected during California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A volunteer is ready to help pick up trash on Alamitos Beach on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Volunteers check in to help clean up Alamitos Beach on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scores of people participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Anita Alvarez, a three-time U.S. Olympian and silver medalist in artistic swimming, takes part in California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scores of people participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scores of people participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scores of people participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scores of people participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scores of people participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
USA Artistic Swimming athletes participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
USA Artistic Swimming athletes participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
USA Artistic Swimming athletes participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson is joined by U.S. Olympians, Olympic hopefuls and officials from LA28, Ocean Conservancy and USA Artistic Swimming for California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, center, is joined by USA Artistic Swimming for California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, center, is joined by U.S. Olympians, Olympic hopefuls and officials from LA28, Ocean Conservancy and USA Artistic Swimming for California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
USA Artistic Swimming athletes participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Nikki Dzurko holds up a piece of trash for documentation alongside USA Artistic Swimming teammates during California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scores of people participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, along Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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Ruby Remati, a USA Artistic Swimming athlete, examines trash she collected during California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The 42nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day took place on Saturday, Sept. 19. Thousands of people across the state came out in droves to help keep local beaches and marinas clean – including in the Long Beach, South Bay, and Los Angeles areas.
This longtime annual event serves as an opportunity for communities to make a positive impact by helping beaches and inland waterways stay clean, healthy and thriving. The cleanups help protect people and wildlife by eliminating plastic pollution before it can cause any more harm, organizers said.
Led by the California Coastal Commission, this year’s cleanup day commemorated the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, a landmark legislation that established the commission to regulate land and water along the state’s 1,100-mile shoreline by maximizing public access, protecting marine habitats and regulating land development within the legally defined Coastal Zone.
Cleanups took place at Santa Monica State Beach, Will Rogers State Beach, Manhattan Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, and Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, among other locations. Local organizations helped put on the cleanups, such as Heal the Bay, Roadhouse Aquarium, South Bay Association of Realtors, and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.
In Long Beach, there were nine cleanup locations that people participated in. Long Beach has long served as one of the main locations for California Coastal Cleanup Day, city officials said.
One of this year’s cleanups took place at Alamitos Beach, led by the city and Ocean Conservancy. There was also a special activation that featured USA Artistic Swimming athletes and other special activations as part of Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play initiative and brought together Olympians, Paralympians and community volunteers at Alamitos Beach – the site for Olympic Beach Volleyball and Paralympic Blind Football in 2028.
In addition to engaging Long Beach volunteers in the cleanup, each volunteer site featured activities, educational components and giveaways provided by each of the site captains.